Harper College

Alumna Kiara Trejo shares her full-circle journey from Harper to the jobsite on Harper Talks

Harper Talks podcast logo with photo of Kiara TrejoKiara Trejo arrived at Harper College unsure of exactly where her interests in design and construction would lead, but she quickly found a path that felt right. On the Harper Talks podcast – in which Harper College alumni share their education, career and life journeys – she discusses discovering Harper’s architecture program, transferring to Illinois Institute of Technology and building a career in construction management that ultimately brought her back to Harper as the construction manager overseeing work on the new Canning Student Center and University Center.

Harper “taught me a lot of the basics to get me started, which was great,” Trejo said. “I felt confident starting at IIT … because I was not at zero.”

Listen to the full episode of Harper Talks and hear the 2011 Harper graduate discuss navigating the construction industry as a Latina, the value of hands-on learning and how she met her husband at Harper.

Harper Talks, a co-production between Harper College Radio and Harper Alumni Relations, features Associate Professor of Mass Communication Brian Shelton in conversation with Harper alumni about the role that Harper played in their lives. You can listen to past episodes of Harper Talks on Harper’s website, WHCM, and on all podcast streaming services, including Spotify and Apple.

Last Updated: 5/7/26